Drop coin timing device



Oct. 27, 1964 EICKHOFF DROP com TIMING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJune 20, 1961 INVENTOR LOUIS EICKHOFF 5V ATTORNEY Oct. 27, 1964 L.EICKHOFF 3,154,182

DROP COIN TIMING DEVICE Filed June 20, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORLOUIS EICKHOFF ,ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,154,182 DROP C011?TIMING DEVICE Louis Eickhoir, "Zobco Corp, 235 Main St, Patchogue, N.Y.Filed June 2!), 1961, Ser. No. 118,354 2 Claims. (Cl. 1941) Thisinvention relates to coin operated timing devices and particularly to anovel simplified device which utilizes dropped coins to actuate a timingmotor and permits an accumulation of coins to establish selected timingintervals.

Dropped coins have been utilized in the past to strike the arm of anelectric switch and actuate a timing motor for a fixed period. It wasdifiicult, however, to accumulate these coins to provide multiple unitsof time or permit selection of difierent intervals. Other devices haveutilized coin slides and rotary stepped gear or ratchet arrangements toadjustably advance a shaft in accordance with the number of coinsinserted. A timing motor then returns the shaft to the starting positionwithin the selected interval. These devices, while providing timevariations, are relatively complex and costly.

It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide asimple device permitting an accumulation of dropped coins to establishcorresponding selective intervals of time.

The instant device utilizes a novel horizontal gear and lower platearranged in layers and having slots therethrough to receive the coins. Atube accumulates the dropped coins above the gear and plate. The coinsare directed by the tube to rest upon a button or rod which is connectedthrough the slot in the gear and plate to a lever positioned above thearm of an electric switch. Each coin depresses the button to actuate theswitch and motor and falls into a round slot in the gear. The lower slotin the plate accommodates only the shape of the button so that the coinholds the button down and is carried by the gear. The motor then drivesthe gear which prevents the button from re-entering the tube untilanother slot or the same one rotates into the original position toaccept a second coin. During this time, the first coin drops out througha second round slot in the plate. Thereafter, the second coin starts anadditional timing cycle.

The detailed description and accompanying drawings which follow considerthe invention in a particular configuration. It is to be understood thatthis represents but one embodiment chosen for the purpose of explanationand illustration and is not to be construed as defining the limits ofthe instant invention.

FIG. 1 is a front view and vertical section of the novel timing deviceshowing an accumulation of coins.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing thedevice without coins.

FIG. 3 is a side view of said device.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section showing the elements of the instantdevice.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 1, coins 19 are inserted into a front panel slot (notshown) and fall into a chute 12 which guides the coin into a tube 14where they are accumulated in a vertical stack. The tube is mountedabove a rotatable gear 16 which has a round slot 18 to accommodate thecoin. The first, or lowest, coin rests in the slot below the tube upon abutton or rod 20 at one end of lever 22 which is pivotally secured belowthe gear at point 24 to support structure 26, as shown more clearly inFIGS. 2 and 3. The button moves lever 22 down to depress arm 28 ofelectric switch 39 and actuates timing motor 32.

When there are no coins in the tube, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, thespring action of arm 28 and a weight 34, acting about point 24, tend tonormally urge the button up into the tube. The weight of the coin thenforces the "ice button down and the coin falls into slot 18 in gear 1%.The button in turn fits into a smaller slot 3r: in a stationary plate 38immediately below the gear. Slot as is of a shape corresponding only tothe button, so that coin is maintained within slot 18 of the gear.

When the motor is actuated by arm 23 a driving or pinion gear 4% securedto the motor shaft 42 causes gear 16 to rotate and carry the coin.Button 2% is then held in slot 36 below the moving gear. The cointhereafter passes over a second round slot 44 in the plate and fallsinto a collection box as. If there are no further coins remaining in thetube, when the original coin slot 18 again reaches the starting point,the button is permitted to rise back into the tube. The switch arm andlever then rise and shut ofi the motor to complete one timing cycle. Thegear and slot are then in position to receive the next coin. Additionalcoins, however, will cause the device to continue operation and toaccumulate time until all the coins have been collected. Added coinslots may be provided through gear in at selected positions to makeavailable shorter intervals of time. Further variations may be obtainedby changing the driving or driven gear, or motor, to permit the use ofother gear and speed ratios. In addition, an almost unlimited number ofcoins may be stacked in the tube, depending upon its height, to permitthe accumulation of any desired period of time.

It may thus be seen that the present invention is a novel simplifieddropped coin operated device which permits selection and accumulation ofa wide range of timing intervals. While a particular embodiment of theinvention has been illustrated, it is apparent that the device is notlimited to the exact form or use indicated and that many variations maybe made in the instant design and configuration without departing fromthe scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A drop coin operated timing device comprising tubular means foraccumulating a plurality of dropped coins in a vertically stackedposition, rotatable means horizontally positioned below said tubularmeans and having a first slot adapted to receive and carry a coin fromsaid tube, said slot being in alignment with said tube at a startingposition, a stationary horizontal plate positioned below said rotatablemeans and having a second slot in vertical alignment with said tube,said second slot having a smaller dimension than said first slot topermit said plate to support said coin, electric switch means positionedbelow said plate, a timing motor adapted to be actuated by said switchto drive said rotatable means, coins operated lever means pivotallymounted to actuate said switch, said lever means having a vertical rodat on end adapted to fit through said first and second slots into saidtube, said rod being normally urged upwardly in the absence of a coinand bein adapted to be moved downwardly below said rotatable means by acoin falling thereon to actuate said switch and motor, said rotatablemeans preventing said rod from returning into said tube until thecompletion of a first timing interval and a realignment of slots, meansfor collecting said coins including a third slot in said plate adaptedto receive said coin from said rotatable means and permit said coin tofall through, and a container for holding said coin after fallingthrough said plate, said motor driving said rotatable means intoposition to permit said rod to move upwardly through said second slot tostop said motor and complete said first tim ng interval and to accept asecond coin to start a second timing interval, said rotatable meanscomprising a first gear and said timing motor including a second gearadapted to drive said first gear, and said first gear having a pluralityof selectively spaced slots to receive coins to provide shorter timingintervals.

2. A drop coin operated timing device comprising tubular means foraccumulating a plurality of dropped coins in a vertically stackedposition, rotatable means horizontally positioned below said tubularmeans and having a first slot adapted to receive and carry a coin fromsaid tube, said slot being in alignment with said tube at a startingposition, a stationary horizontal plate positioned below said rotatablemeans and having a second slot in vertical alignment with said tube,said second slot having a smaller dimension than said first slot topermit said plate to support said coin, electric switch means positionedbelow said plate, a timing motor adapted to be actuated by said switchto drive said rotatable means, coin operated lever means pivotallymounted to actuate said switch, said lever means having a vertical rodat one end adapted to fit through said first and second slotsinto saidtube, said rod being normally urged upwardly in the absence of a coinand being adapted to be moved downwardly below said rotatable means by acoin falling thereon to actuate said switch and motor, said rotatablemeans preventing said rod from returning into said tube until thecomple- 5 for holding said coin after falling through said plate, saidmotor driving said rotatable means into position to permit said rod tomove upwardly through said second slot to stop said motor and completesaid first timing interval and to accept a second coin to start a secondtiming interval,

1 said rotatable means comprising a first gear and said timing motorincluding a second gear adapted to drive said first gear, and meansurging said rod in an upward position including a Weight mounted at theother end of said pivotal lever/and a resilient actuatingarm engaging 1said lever and switch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,926,652 Rosenfeld Sept. 12, 1933 20 2,247,480 Damon et al July 1, 19412,634,845 Chapman et al Apr. 14, 1953

1. A DROP COIN OPERATED TIMING DEVICE COMPRISING TUBULAR MEANS FORACCUMULATING A PLURALITY OF DROPPED COINS IN A VERTICALLY STACKEDPOSITION, ROTATABLE MEANS HORIZONTALLY POSITIONED BELOW SAID TUBULARMEANS AND HAVING A FIRST SLOT ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND CARRY A COIN FROMSAID TUBE, SAID SLOT BEING IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID TUBE AT A STARTINGPOSITION, A STATIONARY HORIZONTAL PLATE POSITIONED BELOW SAID ROTATABLEMEANS AND HAVING A SECOND SLOT IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID TUBE,SAID SECOND SLOT HAVING A SMALLER DIMENSION THAN SAID FIRST SLOT TOPERMIT SAID PLATE TO SUPPORT SAID COIN, ELECTRIC SWITCH MEANS POSITIONEDBELOW SAID PLATE, A TIMING MOTOR ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED BY SAID SWITCHTO DRIVE SAID ROTATABLE MEANS, COINS OPERATED LEVER MEANS PIVOTALLYMOUNTED TO ACTUATE SAID SWITCH, SAID LEVER MEANS HAVING A VERTICAL RODAT ONE END ADAPTED TO FIT THROUGH SAID FIRST AND SECOND SLOTS INTO SAIDTUBE, SAID ROD BEING NORMALLY URGED UPWARDLY IN THE ABSENCE OF A COINAND BEING ADAPTED TO BE MOVED DOWNWARDLY BELOW SAID ROTATABLE MEANS BY ACOIN FALLING THEREON TO ACTUATE SAID SWITCH AND MOTOR, SAID ROTATABLEMEANS PREVENTING SAID ROD FROM RETURNING INTO SAID TUBE UNTIL THECOMPLETION OF A FIRST TIMING INTERVAL AND A REALIGNMENT OF SLOTS, MEANSFOR COLLECTING SAID COINS INCLUDING A THIRD SLOT IN SAID PLATE ADAPTEDTO RECEIVE SAID COIN FROM SAID ROTATABLE MEANS AND PERMIT SAID COIN TOFALL THROUGH, AND A CONTAINER FOR HOLDING SAID COIN AFTER FALLINGTHROUGH SAID PLATE, SAID MOTOR DRIVING SAID ROTATABLE MEANS INTOPOSITION TO PERMIT SAID ROD TO MOVE UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID SECOND SLOT TOSTOP SAID MOTOR AND COMPLETE SAID FIRST TIMING INTERVAL AND TO ACCEPT ASECOND COIN TO START A SECOND TIMING INTERVAL, SAID ROTATABLE MEANSCOMPRISING A FIRST GEAR AND SAID TIMING MOTOR INCLUDING A SECOND GEARADAPTED TO DRIVE SAID FIRST GEAR, AND SAID FIRST GEAR HAVING A PLURALITYOF SELECTIVELY SPACED SLOTS TO RECEIVE COINS TO PROVIDE SHORTER TIMINGINTERVALS.